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The crowdwho showed for the bonfire was bigger than Katrina had expected. There were people she’d never met before. While there were clearly some who were here on a date, Brianne had stuck to her word and told everyone this was just going to be a big party.
Katrina wandered through the groups of people who were chatting as the fire blazed behind her. The heat licked at her, warming her enough that she almost felt overdressed. She’d pulled off her sweatshirt long ago and had tossed it onto a growing pile from others who likely felt the same way.
There was no sign of Simon yet, though he’d promised he’d show up. Brianne was near the snacks and drinks that had been set up on a couple of tables, laughing with someone Katrina recognized as Jackson’s friend, making her wonder if Brianne didn’t have her own crush developing. That would explain why she was pushing the Duncan cousin so hard. If they both nabbed a guy from the same friend circle, it would make hanging out that much easier.
Katrina grinned as she moved through the growing crowd. One day, they would all be married off and starting their own families. Sometimes that meant friendships got pushed to the back burner, but Katrina knew in her gut she’d never lose what she had with Brianne and Simon.
She slipped between two small groups and collided with someone. Katrina laughed. “I’m so sorry!” Her eyes lifted to find Jackson. “I didn’t know you were going to be here this weekend!” She reached forward to give him a hug.
Jackson lifted her off her feet, his hug nearly crushing her. “When Brianne told me about it, I knew I couldn’t miss it.” He glanced around, golden flickers from the fire reflecting in his dark eyes. “Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves. I never thought your brother would go for it.”
“Who?”
“Bo. I met him at the wedding. He seems really strict.” Jackson chuckled. “But then, with a little sister like you… Well, I bet you had a way of getting all your brothers wrapped around your little finger, huh?”
She snickered. “If you believe that, then you don’t know my brothers. I think Bo agreed to let this happen because of Gabby, his wife. She can make him say yes to anything. And I think she realized that I needed this.”
Jackson cocked his head slightly. “You mean because of the job thing?”
Thatjob thingwas a big setback. Huge. And still, Jackson didn’t seem to fully understand what it had meant to her. Having him downplay something that was a big issue for her right now was more than annoying. Katrina brushed off the annoyance. She was doing her best to show patience and understanding. That was all she could do.
“Yeah. It hit me harder than I thought it would.”
“But hasn’t it been, like… months?”
She forced a smile. They needed a change of topic. “Tell me how things are going at your family’s place. Are you guys still preparing for the rodeo? Or are you going to do something else this summer?”
“Oh yeah. We’re going to hit it hard. My little brother is even going to try being a clown.”
Katrina couldn’t help it, a bout of laughter bubbled up. To hear that a member of the Duncan family was willing to dress in a clown costume to ward off the bulls was hilarious. To see it in person would be priceless.
“You’re going to have to tell me when that happens. I wouldn’t want to miss it.”
Jackson’s expression turned slightly more serious and he reached forward to graze his crooked finger along her jawline. “I’d love it if you came with me.”
CHAPTEREIGHT
This was it.
Simon knew what he had to do. He had to stop avoiding telling Katrina how he felt. They knew each other better than anyone. It shouldn’t be this hard to just admit his feelings to her.
He climbed out of his new beat-up truck and headed straight for the huge fire that burned a few yards away. Somewhere in that group of people, Katrina would be waiting for him. He’d pull her aside and tell her he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He couldn’t forget about their near-kiss and how he knew he was better than that Jackson Duncan.
He’d tell her that he knew her better than she knew herself and if she gave him a chance, he’d make her the happiest woman alive.
Fueled by this surge of confidence, even though the anxiety brought on by the idea she might brush him off rested just below the surface, he weaved through the crowd.
Then he saw her. Her focus was everywhere all at once. Was she looking for him? He grinned. Now was his moment. All he had to do was go to her and?—
A heavy hand landed on his shoulder. “Simon. Katrina said you were going to be here tonight.”
Simon dragged his focus to the intruder, finding Daniel smiling at him. He gave a fleeting glance toward Katrina. He needed to make this quick.
“She said you could use some help at the ranch.”
He turned to look back at Daniel. “She did?” He’d told Katrina that he would contact Daniel when he was ready. The fact that he hadn’t sought him out was because he simply wasn’t ready yet.
